OT: What Are Your Other Hobbies?

moonwolf_gwOctober 22, 2010

Hi everyone,

What other hobbies do we hoya addicts all have besides collecting our treasures? Me personally, I do needlecrafts (crochet, knit, embroidery, needlepoint, just starting to learn how to cross stitch and I want to learn how to do latch hook), garden outdoors, write (a little poetry and some stories), read and listening to my albums. I mostly crochet but I dabble a little bit in the other needlecrafts I listed. I'm terrible at sewing, but I enjoy it, maybe someday I'll learn how to do it right.

I can't think of anything hoya related to say except for that I got a small cutting today in the mail labeled 'Splash' (I'm assuming it's pubicalyx 'Pink Silver'). I'll take a picture of it tommorrow.

I knit when I have time...which doesn't seem like very often these days.... LOVE taking pictures! Sell bags/purses on the side...sort of a hobby since I love bags! Don't know if my pets are considered a hobby or if they're more of a lifestyle. Like outside gardening...although I find some of it such as weeding to be such a chore... Enjoy volunteering/fundraising when time permits.

Hey, Brad!
Good Thread idea! I have quite a few hobbies, myself.
In addition to bonsai (conifers, maples, succulents) and other yardscaping (conifers, maples, birch, bamboo),
I also grow hot peppers with friends - with which we make dipping sauces, salsas, et cetera.

I do a lot of hiking in the foothills, in the mountains, and along the local rivers. I snowshoe in the winter,
and when I'm out in the wilderness, I take copious pictures and try to capture that sense of isolation.

I'm also a writer of short fiction and poetry; and, occasionally, I indulge in some artwork - pencil, pen, seldom color. Although I don't play any instruments, I've been known to write a song or two 'round a campfire with friends.

Lastly, I'm involved in the resurgence of Western Martial Arts - namely, the use of European medieval weapons.
Sword and buckler is my favorite form, though I'm not opposed to some heavy rapier fencing or passes with the longsword. Spears, axes, longknives, bows...you name it, I put it to practice. Weightlifting and cardio boxing are
an intrinsic part of my exercise regimen, as well.

Of course, the list wouldn't be complete without mentioning my love for the written word. Tolkien I hold in high regard. Edgar Allan Poe, John Barth, Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft....you'll find them all stacked near my bed or close at hand on shelves.

Hi everyone, it's quite nice to know alittle something else about everyone. I really enjoy scrapbooking and card-making. I'm taking a few classes right now, getting ready to make Christmas cards. I also enjoy reading, my niece has got me hooked on Nicholas Sparks, he writes beautiful romance novels. I really like camping as well, we have a small trailer that we travel to nearby Provincial Parks in with good friends. I have also found a passion for nordic walking, I find the poles give support to the back so i can enjoy a walk around the neighborhood. And lastly, I will mention baking, I love to try a new recipe, like recently i made a pear tart, something i've never tried before. Thanks for reading, hope I did'nt bore anyone, Lori

Lori reminded me that I should vocalize my reactions out loud so you guys don't all think I was bored!

I love pear tarts! Pear season is the best! I ate 3 of those lovely dappled gold Asian pears for breakfast this morning. I own a pair of snowshoes but I never go snowshoeing, which now makes me sad! I don't consider myself a "knitter," since I can only go in a straight line so far, but I did spend this weekend knitting the world's longest black scarf! And I

Perhaps the newer folks don't know this, but just next door (as it were) along w/ the Gallery (where folks used to post their pix), is a Conversations area. Tho' not used recently, this is where folks would go to put OT conversations that are not about Hoyas.

We tend to try & post just Hoya stuff on the Hoya Discussions page (here) (tho' I know lately, some folks have been posting pet pix too).

I'm not trying to squelch OT conversation, rather just put it where it belongs (or used to).

Well as you all probably know by now - fishing is my favorite hobby....
My husband and myself tag sturgeon for the Rick Hansen Sturgeon conservation society... next week we have been asked to take a bunch of students out with us from BCIT Fish and Wildlife - so that should be alot of fun..
I also love to tole paint....
Gardening and I raise Gouldian finches...
I have cross stitched over the years and done some ribbon embroidery

GG, horror movies lull you to sleep?! I love the older horror movies like Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. You game as in video games? Me too! I love the Final Fantasy, Metroid and Zelda series. Of course I love Mario too.

PG, though I'm only 20, I know of Gilda Radner (RIP) and Roseanne Roseannadana. I love the older TV shows, music and movies. Anyone remember Ernestine (One Ringy Dingy...)?

As for my record album collection/music selection, I listen to everyone from Cyndi Lauper to Dottie West, Bonnie Tyler to The Carpenters, Poison, The Mamas and The, Papas, Dolly Parton, mostly classic country and the oldies.

Yep! Last night I fell asleep to The Masque of the Red Death with Vincent Price, but I love horror from all nations and all eras. Contemporary slashers are a little hard to nod off to unless I'm tired, though. I think they jack the screams up more than they used to. I'm particularly fond of Korean horror movies, although obviously I have to stay awake for the subtitles.

And yes, I meant video games, although I love any kind of game. I'm making up for lost time, since I wasn't allowed any gaming systems as a kid. I think my mom may have miscalculated that one.

Oh I just have to chime in! And how appropriate during the halloween season! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the old black and white horror films.....Vincent Price...ahhh....how wonderful! Dracula, the mummy, creature from the black lagoon...Growing up, every Saturday was spent watching Creature Double Feature.....My mom loved it because we would watch mesmerized and were out of her hair...not sure if that was on in every part of the states...I grew up on the East Coast and I do recall it being on Channel 13 (Philly area) which I always thought was so appropriate!

Oh, the Horror....! 0.0
Korean horror? Like "301/302"? My friends are big into Japanese horror, such as Ichi, Imprint, and Visitor Q...
*not* for the faint of heart. Yes! I am a Horror enthusiast, as well. Guess I'm in good company! Watched a few Friday the 13th's this week on AMC....and I'm really looking forward to The Walking Dead series starting next Sunday!

No gaming systems, myself, but my friends have it covered. Halo, Call of Duty, New Vegas.....

Forgot to mention Music. Well, my taste in music is extreme. I like metal....the heavier the better.
Now, I'm not talking about old bands like Iron Maiden or Slayer, nor nu-metal like Lamb of God or As I Lay Dying.

Nautical Funeral Doom (called "Whalecore," by some): bands like Ahab, Graves at Sea, even Sunn O))).
For Black Metal, I like bands such as Blood Red Fog, Dodsferd, even the extreme gothic sounds of Cradle of Filth.
Typically, though, you'll find me listening to sludgy, Stoner Doom bands like Acid Bath and Electric Wizard.
I like to sing on the way to school, to warm my voice up for the students ;)

Here's a taste of my favorite Folk Metal band, Temnozor. This is one of their most powerful arrangements.
Don't worry, this one won't blow your speakers or your ears....but it might transport you emotionally....

Aside from collecting hoyas I also collect Fenton Art Glass ( burmese is my color of choice) and I have a collection of around 180 pieces.

I like to cook,love to bake especially sweets which by the way is not good for me since i'm diabetic. I've learned to control both the the diabetes and the baking!!!

I'm not into video games at all,in fact i'll tell you just how not into them I am. The last video game that I can recall playing was the original Atari with games like pacman,donkey kong and pitfall!!! Anyone remember those!!!

Not much of a television person either though I do have a few things that I can't live without watching. For instance i'm REALLY into all of the vampire series like Tru Blood, and the Vampire Diaries!!! TOTALLY LOVE Dexter!!!

Music i'm not into as much as I used to be. I've found as i've gotten older that I just don't keep up with it like I did when I was younger. Being a child of the 80's of course i love the 80's dance music, some country but not all (Reba is #1). I also like solo piano and have every CD that Jim Brickman has ever put out. I've seen him in concert several times also.

I'm also very much into my pets. I have a medium long haired tortoise shell and a pair of orange tabbies,a male and a female which is unusual as female oranges are a rarity with only 20 out of 100 being born female. Just got the female last week and she's only about 13 weeks old.

Hi
My main hobby is hoyas.I love to learn about different travel destination especially south east Asia,Japan and Korea.I also love my 4 cats who are very spoiled(my husbands words not mine).
David, I have never heard that about orange tabbies,unlike calico and torties almost always female.

I don't have a lot of time for other hobbies (work, eat, sleep, water plants, wake up and repeat...) But, I can tell you the things I enjoy when I have time...

I love music - I spend time watching & bookmarking 80's videos on my laptop while my hubby watches sports. I really love to try out new recipes, but it kind of sucks because my husband is not even REMOTELY adventurous when it comes to food. He has a meal repertoire of about 10 things - boring!

I enjoy doing some tame computer games, mostly word games or jigsaw puzzles or mahjong. And I like playing sudoku. I love to write, and hope one day (when I'm able to retire from the wedding biz, hopefully in the not-too-distant future...) I can try my hand at writing professionally.

I love gardening indoors and out, especially roses for outside. Indoors I like to have as much of an eclectic collection as possible! Seeds of all kinds fascinate me and I'm currently experimenting starting epiphyllum, rhipsalis, hatiora, and chirita species, and hosta. It's a tiny house and every window is full of plants so the challenge is to only start very few of each this winter under lights :D

My 4 cats, all ferals found and from shelters, are my best friends, 2 male orange tabby and 1 female orange tabby (yes she is rare!) all huge and a tiny female calico, following me around the house in and out while I work on things. My husband says I look like a cat herder.

I love to research about anything, any questions come up or something I've heard about I've got to find out all about it. I'm hoping to finish in this lifetime several thread crochet valances. I am currently reading about "Tocks Island Dam - Damming the Delaware River". My chili is terrible (no kidding here, it's one of two things I CAN'T cook - pancakes is the other) Went to a chili contest last weekend so I'm inspired to try again. Using hot and sweet sausage combined with ground beef this time.....

Josh - I've never heard music like that! It's so unusual, thanks for sharing.

TV? Wow, I can't remember the last time I actually turned the set on. Yes, it's occasionally on in the house but I avoid it at all costs, well, unless it's required family time and I can't get out of watching it without a huge fight (a small argument is worth it)...then out comes ANY craft project to keep me busy and entertained during whatever program was required.

I listened to Temnozor yesterday, too, at work and I'm still processing it. I might have to listen to it a couple more times to figure out why it sounds so familiar and yet still like the last thing I ever expected. Thanks for sharing - it was totally fun.

Josh, 301/302 is one I do like, even though it doesn't have much horror to it. I was going to make some recommendations but last night got too hectic and I wasn't able to refresh my memory. The titles all blend together! Some obvious classics are A Tale of Two Sisters , Ouija Board , Memento Mori , and Cinderella .

It made me laugh that you brought up Visitor Q, which might be one of the horror movies I'm least likely to ever watch again. It made me so uncomfortable! The worst, though, is Rampo Noir .

Actually, I have seen all the films you mentioned. (blush) And last week I accidentally managed to rent both a JP horror/comedy The Happiness of the Katakuris and a Korean horror/comedy The Quiet Family with the exact same plot. >_>; That was odd.

Oh yes and don't lets forget the classics! Debbie, I LOVE The Creature from the Black Lagoon! And we forgot Frankenstein! My favorite movies from this era are the classic "mysteryin the creepy mansion" movies, (e.g. The Legend of Hell House) especially the ones from Mexico where for some reason, a wrestler in a mask solves the crimes.

I never watch television "live" so I'm always a 2-6 seasons behind everyone else, but I love Dexter too ^_^. And I DO of course remember the Atari video games although I can only remember playing them a handful of times when I was actually an appropriate age.

I'm loving the similarities that keep popping up! TWO female orange tabbies! Lots of Knitting/crochet/needlework. A plethora of writers. A gaggle of cooks/bakers.

Hobbies.......sometimes I think I have too many but they also seem to be ever changing. I was on a kick to personally resurrect activities that are becoming less and less common. One of these was to learn to make a quilt but mastering a sewing machine can be quite the task in itself. I also dabbled in weaving fibers into baskets/art pieces but have not done much lately.

Plants really are my main hobby and other than Hoyas I grow orchids and succulents/cacti. I recently have started with Gesneriads and have been fascinated with many of them. I belong to the International Asclepiad Society, The international Hoya Association, The International Gesneriad Society and my local London Orchid Society. I also have a huge interest in Ethnobotany which is the study of how people use the plants in their general environment. I like to grow vegetables, medicinal and culinary herbs and I also have been studying herbal medicine for about a year.

I also keep tropical fish and currently have African butterfly fish, Endler's livebearers, Thread fin rainbows, Rivulus cf, ornatus, a couple species of Nothobranchius and a small colony of dwarf South American Chichlids, Apistogramma baenchi. I keep my fish in naturally planted aquariums.

I like terrariums and have one that houses my Candoia carinata carinata which is a small Pacific Island tree boa. My other terrarium houses my Nothobranchius guntheri killies.

During the winter I like to cross country ski. I love the outdoors and go camping or canoeing when ever possible. I like to take as many photos as possible while out in nature.

I enjoy reading about anything that I wish to learn about, not too much into fiction but occasionally like to read that as well.

GG have you seen the movie Descent, it's much like The Cave. I watched (some of) Piranha 3D a little while ago and I swear I was permanently scarred by that movie, so graphic! Have you seen Clive Barkers Midnight Meat Train? That is probably one you would like and I may have already mentioned in in a previous post like this.
I don't watch a lot of TV but I do love Dexter. If I am watching TV it's usually a HD nature show, can't beat that.

Musically I like modern folk and some Indie, love the new Arcade Fire album. Still listen to quite a bit of electronic music as well. Check out the Arcade Firs video in the link, you can enter your address and it will put your neighborhood into the video using Google Street View, really cool but you need Google Chrome to run it properly.

I do find it odd that the majority of us hoya folks do have the same interests. I enjoy cooking as well! I usually help mom but my neighbor and I made zuchinni bread on Sunday. My favorite foods include fried green tomatoes, pizza, seafood (crab salad, deep fried oysters, fantail shrimp, unbreaded haddock and crab legs) chicken (mom makes a great batch of fried chicken), and I hate to admit it but I love a good burger and fries (Fast food is one of my weaknesses and you bet I'm excited about the McRibs coming back!)

Here's one of my favorite Dottie West songs. Do any of you recollect hearing this song?

Mike, now that you mention it, The Descent IS the movie I was talking about. I was posting in a hurry and didn't really read the imdb page I linked to very carefully. The copy of The Descent in my collection is called The Cave or something similar, maybe some iteration of it was released in the US under that name. Thanks for the correction! I'd hate for anyone to go out and rent The Cave, which is nowhere near as scary.

Hoya is not my sole passion. I grow orchids, bromeliads, epiphyllum, and other plants.
love playing with my cat named Chico. I love to travel. Spend many hours surfing the internet (I'm addicted to the internet). I also love cooking. But what I enjoy most is taking care of plants.
Hug
Thank you all!

GG, fried green tomatoes are total comfort food! They don't taste like regular tomatoes, they're more on the tart side. Mom and my eldest niece like eating them with powdered sugar. I like eating them with blue cheese dressing. It's a very easy recipe to make.

Mike, Dottie is my favorite female classic country singer.
Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly are in my top five favorites. Which songs of hers did you like? "Blue As I Want To" is my favorite song on that album. I have that album that those songs are on. My sister got it for me for my birthday a few years ago. I never listened to "All He Did Was Tell Me Lies (To Try To Woo Me)". Jo Dee Messina covered "A Lesson In Leavin'" a few years back, which was Dottie's first number one hit song (also from the same album, Special Delivery)! I don't have all of her albums, but maybe someday I will!

Brad so far I have only listened to 'Blue As I Want To' but I will listen to more when I have the time. I think my favorite female vocalist's country song of all time is Reba's "Fancy", love that song, so much emotion in her voice. I also like stuff like Fleetwood Mac and Crosby Stills Nash and Young.

Hobbies???? I have some!
I love to buy seeds of different species, it is great to see the germination and growing process. I love to cook, italian food, japanese food, chinese food, among many others! I love condiments and spices.
I also love pictures and I'm crazy about pictures machines, electronics and technology, I love to buy all high tech equipments, I know it's against nature and planet conservation and my taste for those things is not correct to the environment, but unfortunately I cannot resist!!! But I do the best of possible against greenhouse effect (I dont know if this is the correct term because I translate it exactly as we say here)!!!!

Mitzicos, I know what you mean about the guilty pleasures of technology. (And "greenhouse effect" is correct.) Every year I get better about reducing my impact, but the tech side of my life stands in complete contrast to the rest of it! I don't know how to feel about that.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "kids" although I suppose they are not a hobby! Besides my plants, I have three young kids (5, 3 and 1) who really keep me too busy to do much else (although I do love to cook like a lot of other folks here, the specialty in our house is Indian food). But the kids do LOVE to help me with the plants especially when helping involves "Dirt"! I hope being around so many plants will give them green thumbs when they grow older.

I know I posted earlier on this thread as to what some of my other hobbies are but I forgot one!!! If the link opens properly you'll see something else that I LOVE to do when the fairs in town!!! I'm just a big 43 year old kid who loves thrill rides!!! The ride in the link is one of my favorites!!

I'm a cat person... I have two cats. I also have 2 turtles and 3 leopard geckos. I sometimes incubate the gecko eggs and share the babies with friends. I have been searching for the correct dog fit for my house for the last couple years. I spend most my time with my 3 yr old daughter Kirabella which is a blessing. She likes digging in dirt but is not quite a gardener yet.

I like outdoor activities such as gardening, hiking, biking, kayaking, flying kites w/ the fam, relaxing at the beach, camping, and fishing. I participate in an indoor flag football league which is a good way to get out some of my excess energy. I love Comedies mostly when it comes to movies and want to see Jackass 3D before it goes out of theaters(guilty pleasure). My favorite shows are Dexter(I get Showtime just for this), Chuck, Bones, Fringe, Raising Hope, The Office, 30 Rock, and The Simpsons. Dexter is the only show that gets me going so much that I love and hate to watch it at the same time. I get so stressed hoping that he doesn't get caught, is a good father, and is a good brother all at the same time. My blood pressure takes at least 30 minutes to lower after watching it. I am not a big fan of recent music. The most recent albums that I have bought and enjoy are Baroness, Cooper Temple Clause, and DJ Kenny. I used to collect Korn albums and have over 70 different cds or vinyls by them. My wife used to collect James albums and we have over 50 of them. I enjoy reading RA Salvatore and Robert Jordan novels.

David, your description of the stress you feel watching Dexter made me laugh. I'm glad you're routing for him to be a good brother, because Deb is my favorite!

It may just be me but it seems like the TV shows today are more anxiety ridden than they used to be, particularly playing on social anxieties, like the one you describe, where you just desperately want the character not to screw up. The Office is the same way. I actually think I feel more stress watching that show than I ever have during a horror movie. I frequently find myself cringing and covering my face.

As I age, my hobbies change. Some on here will remember how Cactus & Succulent crazy I was for years... pretty much gone.
I moved in 2004 and my microclimate changed drastically. So I had to change what I grew.
Orchids became more prevelant, which devolved into mostly Oncidiums and Cymbidium orchids! The microclimate involved many more epiphytics, AND there was a YARD involved so more in ground gardening and less container gardening.

In 2007 my career changed paths (totally UNEXPECTED paths) and I've been learning a whole new industry since then. May of this year saw me promoted into a Manager position, in a one person office, so it is All Me. (That sucks up way more of my time than I like.)

Read (less than I used to)
Compost
Have four cats
Have had my Class M California license for more than 25 years and have been more actively riding my trike (Brothers of the Third Wheel have been featured in several Major publications this year)
Got sucked into Farm games on a well known social network Photograph my beautiful plants, at a near professional level
Lost a dear pet suddenly and needed a new hobby to keep my hands busy, and my lap full... so I started designing and crafting jewelry. (Yep, that's pretty much where I've been.)
You can see it here http://www.artfire.com/users/The_Clockwork_Boudoir
Not to mention a recent introduction to Steampunk... Just what I need, a new hobby!

I've developed a more sophisticated musical palette thanks to my 24 yo son, and will be attending a Black Keys concert on my 50th birthday... Wondering if I'm in crisis territory?

No way, you're not in crisis territory. You're just open to new pleasures, like we all should be. Our family (youngest is 25) does an annual music exposure day on Father's Day, where we sit around and drink and listen to each others selected bands to share. It's pretty dorky, no doubt, but sometimes there's only so much you can take of family get-togethers comprised of a long chain of trendy restaurants.

Steampunk as a hobby? Are you talking steampunk fashion? steampunk music? steampunk literature?

Used to grow orchids (mostly phals, doritaenopsis etc), now into hoyas, succulents/cacti, ferns and begonias. Have a large vegetable and herb garden, also large decorative beds (massive yard but small house).

Nutrition and vitamin supplementation are a passion, so I like to cook to make sure I'm eating optimally. I love to eat and am a confirmed tea drinker - all kinds of teas.

Walking, yoga and meditation. I walk everywhere and walk fast.

Like to work with my hands, so when plants are happy (watered and groomed) I turn to beading. Make jewellery of all kinds. Next I shall try silversmithing.

Reading when time permits. Cookbooks, textbooks, paperbacks, newspaper, on-line. I need to read to stay sane.

Research of all kinds. Give me something to check out and I'm a happy camper.

My wee birdie friend Ziggy (pearl cockatiel). Well to be precise Ziggy Louise LeFlocker is her full name. I named her Ziggy and she chose the rest. I live with a diva for a bird friend.

lol Kelly. Funny how animals seem to find their own names somehow. We had a family cockatiel who was supposed to have some lovely elegant name I forget and promptly turned into Thelma Poo. Similarly, my cat is supposed to be Zeno, but instead gets called anything but: ZZ, Beano, Little Bean, Rasty Cat, Stinky Pete, Negrito, and Zumi.

I totally share your passion for eating well/cooking for yourself! I suffered from debilitating depression and anxiety attacks all my adult life and turned it completely around when I switched up what I ate. It never seemed worth fussing about nutrition until I realized how much control it gave me over how I felt. Aw man, now I sound like a health class video, sorry guys.